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Category: People

  • Veteran journalist A Surya Prakash is the new Prasar Bharati chairman

    Veteran journalist A Surya Prakash is the new Prasar Bharati chairman

    NEW DELHI: Senior journalist A Surya Prakash has been appointed the chairman of the Prasar Bharati Board, succeeding Mrinal Pande whose term ended around six months earlier.

     

    The appointment, which will be for three years, was made on the recommendation of a three-member committee headed by Vice President M Hamid Ansari and comprising Press Council of India chairman Markandey Katju and Information and Broadcasting Ministry secretary Bimal Julka.  

     

    Pande completed her tenure on 30 April this year. 

     

    The pubcaster, which was created by the Prasar Bharati (Broadcasting Corporation of India) Act 1990 but notified in 1997, is governed by the Prasar Bharati Board, which comprises a chairman, an executive member (chief executive officer), a member (finance), a member (personnel), six part-time members, a representative of the I&B Ministry and the directors general of All India Radio and Doordarshan as ex-officio members.

     

    The chairman is a part time member. 

     

    Prakash has vast experience of both TV and print media. He has held key positions in several print and electronic media organisations.

     

    He was editor of Zee News; executive editor of the Pioneer; India editor of Asia Times which is a business and political daily published from Bangkok and Singapore; political editor of the Eenadu Group of Newspapers; and chief of bureau, Indian Express, New Delhi.

     

    He is also known for his well-researched interventions on national political issues. He is the founder-director of the Film and Media School at the Institute of Integrated Learning in Management, New Delhi, and founder-director of the Pioneer Media School. 

     

    Prakash is currently consulting editor of the Pioneer newspaper and a distinguished fellow at Delhi-based Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF), a think tank with which National Security advisor Ajit Doval was also associated earlier.  

  • Jawhar Sircar elected VP in Asia Pacific Broadcasting Union against heavy odds

    Jawhar Sircar elected VP in Asia Pacific Broadcasting Union against heavy odds

    NEW DELHI: Prasar Bharati chief executive officer, Jawhar Sircar, was elected vice president of the Asia Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU) in the ongoing convention and general assembly at Macau.

     

    Interestingly, India had deputed a delegation of just two members and one advisor from the public broadcaster, against countries like Japan, China, Hong Kong, South Korea which had over 40 delegates while countries like Malaysia had 30, Sri Lanka had nine, Afghanistan eight, Bhutan five, Bangladesh and Mongolia seven each, Thailand had 35, Turkmenistan had 15, Kazakstan had six, and Singapore had 13 delegates.    

     

    Defying all odds, Sircar won the election thanks to India’s emerging image heralded by conspicuous and bold initiatives of the government and the public broadcaster. 

     

    India wanted to be a part of decision making in ABU of which it has been a founder member since 1964 with AIR and Doordarshan.

     

    ABU has 264 members in 61 countries reaching a potential audience of 3.5 billion people providing a forum promoting collective interests of TV and radio internationally funded primarily by members. It remains the hub of harmonisation of technical broadcasting standards and systems, skill and technological development as also information exchange. It is the third largest of the eight global broadcasting unions, the representing largest geographic region in the world. Its Sports Department negotiates TV rights for major sporting events like Olympics and Asian Games,World Football Cup besides several other related activities.

     

    Prasar Bharati has immense stakes in ABU as India’s national public service broadcaster. Though Prasar Bharati pays Rs 50 lakh annual subscription, it had no representation in the general assembly held in Tokyo and lost the vacant seat of vice president to Pakistan in 2010.

     

    Prasar Bharati sources also told indiantelevision.com that sports rights which were earlier offered to PB on exclusive basis were unbundled and given only ‘free to air rights’  to accommodate ESPN, thus ending a long and continued spell of exclusivity. This was because there was no one from PB deputed at ABU when the Sports Group body was discussing acquisition of rights for Asian Games 2010.

     

    India hosted ABU’s General Assembly in 2011 after 15 years in a routine, officious and less-concerned mode with minimal participation and missing both the posts of vice presidency and a seat Membership on the Council.

     

    Consequently, Sircar led a three-member contingent to Seoul general assembly in 2012 and got Doordarshan re-elected as Technical Bureau member and AIR to ABU Administrative Council unanimously. Being member of the Administrative Council, PB then became eligible for ABU vice president but was trounced by Turkey Radio And Television Corporation which had taken a delegation of 20 against India’s two.

     

    The source said PB had no chance at all when all the countries like Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Thailand, Macau and Hong Kong took 4 to 18 delegates to canvass and manage better deliverables. NHK Japan had 41 delegates, Korea 21 and China 22 in Hanoi General Assembly in 2013.

  • Industry touches base with family, this Diwali

    Industry touches base with family, this Diwali

    It is that time of the year again! Diwali, also known as the festival of lights, lives up to its name, filling every nook and corner of our streets with bright decorations and fireworks. Whether you talk about shimmery clothes, tasty food or wonderful traditions, one cannot deny the excitement associated with this festival. We buy gifts for ourselves and loved ones, feast on good food, visit our relatives and decorate homes with glowing lamps and rangoli. A festival that signifies the triumph of light over darkness and good over evil, the story behind Diwali has a strong base in Indian mythology. Diwali commemorates the return of Lord Shri Ram with his wife Sita and Lakshman from his 14 year long exile after killing the Ravana. In joyous celebration of his victory, the people of Ayodhya lit up tiny lamps at their homes, signifying positive energy. These days, people host a range of Diwali bashes to celebrate the occasion. A typical day normally starts with a Lakshmi puja, followed by visiting family and friends. Diwali is also an occasion for us to meet our loved ones, exchange gifts, socialise and bond.  The festival can also signify a chance for us to bring light into the lives of others. With all these meanings attached to this event, it is no wonder that Diwali is one of the most widely celebrated festivals in India and abroad. Likewise on this day, we found out how the media industry is celebrating Diwali. Take a look!

    Divya Radhakrishnan, Managing director, Helios Media

    “We are keeping an open house at my office today post 4 pm where friends, colleagues and families can come in to celebrate the occasion with us for some good food and alcohol.”

     

    JD Majethia, Actor-Director-Producer, Hats Off Productions

    “This year, there are lots of good things happening work wise. Our show Badi Door Se Aaye Hain just completed 100 episodes. Our viewers have given us so much love that even we want to give back the same kind of affection. We have prepared Diwali special episodes for the show. On a personal front, Diwali is very nostalgic for me. As I am a Gujarati, it signifies a new year for us. I just came back from a vacation with my family. And I intend to visit my relatives and celebrate Diwali with a bit of fireworks!”

    Karthik Lakshminarayan, COO, Madison Media

     “This Diwali, children from an orphanage have been invited to our office. Food and donations were collected as we want to spread happiness in their lives. At home, I will spend time with family and visit friends. I will avoid bursting crackers as I believe in an eco-friendly Diwali.”

     

    KVL Narayan Rao, executive vice chairperson, NDTV 

    “I would be having a small celebration at home with family and friends.”

     

     

    Navin Khemka, managing partner, north and east region, Maxis

     “At office, we had a puja followed by lunch with colleagues. On a personal front, I plan to spend the time with family and friends at home. A puja will be conducted at home and it will be an eco-friendly Diwali at my place.”

     

    Nisha Singhania, co-founder, Infectious

    “We are just having a quiet Diwali celebration. I am taking my office colleagues out for lunch at a vegetarian restaurant in Mahim.”

     

     

    Shantanu Gangane, marketing head-Movies Now, Times Television Network  

    “At work place, Diwali snacks and gifts are being distributed. I also plan to visit my weekend home with my family and friends. I want to spend quality time with my kids and teach them about the mythological characters pertaining to Diwali instead of just bursting fire crackers. I prefer a noise-free Diwali.”

     

    Sudhir Sharma, producer, Sunshine Productions

    “I will be going ‘party hopping’ to different Diwali events hosted by colleagues in the industry. Diwali means happiness. It is like a motivation to work harder for the upcoming year. This year will be different as I will not be going back to my parents’ house. Instead, I will be attending a lot of parties in Mumbai hosted by my fellow co actors and friends from the industry.”

    Yash Patnaik, producer, Beyond Dreams Entertainment  
    “I am in the midst of getting my office renovated. This year will be a working Diwali for my entire team.”

     

     

     

    Here’s wishing all our readers a very happy and prosperous Diwali from the entire team of Indiantelevision.com !

  • Turner International appoints Awantika Sood as sales director

    Turner International appoints Awantika Sood as sales director

    MUMBAI: Turner International Asia Pacific has announced the appointment of Awantika Sood as the new sales director, representing the broadcaster’s kids and entertainment brands in southeast Asia.

     

    In the new role, Sood will be responsible for local and regional advertising sales revenues for leading television and digital entertainment properties such as Cartoon Network, Boomerang, Toonami, WarnerTV, Oh!K and truTV. A significant part of her remit is to implement “beyond-ratings” initiatives, as well as exploring branded-entertainment opportunities for multiple platforms.

     

    Turner senior vice president and southeast Asia Pacific and north Asia managing director Phil Nelson commented, “We’re really pleased to have Awantika onboard in this key position as we continue to make significant investments in our Kids and Entertainment portfolio. With her previous experience and extensive industry relationships, I am confident she will help us build upon our success in the Southeast Asia region.”

     

    Sood will also spearhead Turner’s advertising sales strategy, driving regional revenue growth by developing new client accounts and digital expansion in important markets including Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines.

     

    Sood’s appointment is effective immediately and she will be based at Turner’s office in Singapore.

     

    Most recently, she managed ad sales for TV and digital platforms at BBC Advertising. She has previously held sales and marketing positions at Fox International Channels in Singapore, and Star TV in both Singapore and India.

     

  • Colors elevates Manisha Sharma; Prashant Bhatt to move out

    Colors elevates Manisha Sharma; Prashant Bhatt to move out

    MUMBAI: The Hindi general entertainment channel (GEC), Colors, has been witnessing many exists lately.

     

    Late last month, came the news of the channel’s commercial and digital head Vivek Srivastava quitting and moving to Times Television Network to head the English Entertainment channels.

     

    Now, highly reliable sources within the industry have confirmed to indiantelevision.com that Prashant Bhatt, who heads the weekday programming head, has been asked to put down his papers. Meanwhile, the current non-fiction head Manisha Sharma has been awarded extra responsibilities of the entire programming department of the channel.

     

    In the year 2012, Colors had split its programming unit into two separate teams to bring more focus on content for weekdays and weekends.

     

    The official spokespersons of the channel were unavailable for comment.

     

    With inputs from tellychakkar.com

  • Former Prasar Bharati chairman and veteran journalist MV Kamath is no more

    Former Prasar Bharati chairman and veteran journalist MV Kamath is no more

    NEW DELHI: Former chairman of Prasar Bharati and veteran journalist MV Kamath died this morning after a brief illness at the age of 93.

     

    A Padma Bhushan awardee, Kamath was also the former Editor of The Illustrated Weekly of India. Kamath served as the Washington correspondent of The Times of India and as editor of The Sunday Times. He also worked for the Press Trust of India.

     

    After beginning his career as a chemist, Kamath joined journalism as a reporter with the Free Press Journal in Mumbai. He was the president of Bombay Union of Journalists in 1953.

     

    Born in Udupi on 7 September 1921, Kamath completed his early education in Manipal. He graduated in B Sc.

     

    A prolific writer, he wrote several books including Narendra Modi – The Architect of a Modern State (2009) with co-author Kalindi Randeri and Reporter at Large (2002). Other books included one on the Pursuit of Excellence.

     

    Kamath was the honorary director of the Manipal School of Communications since its inception in 1997. He was a board member of Manipal University.

     

  • Essel Vision appoints Girish Johar as head of global revenue

    Essel Vision appoints Girish Johar as head of global revenue

    MUMBAI: With the overall strategic vision of the business to strengthen its revenue streams from the films division, Essel Vision Productions Ltd (EVPL) has appointed Girish Johar as global revenue head for films division.

    Johar will be responsible for existing as well as generating new revenue streams from films across all languages and mediums. He will report into EVPL business head Akash Chawla.

    Chawla believes that the film division is fundamental for business and has immense potential to grow. Revenues play a pivotal role in fuelling the expansion strategy of any business and creating different revenue streams from various mediums is central to the success of this strategy. “With Girish at the helm of this, I am confident that the revenues will be further maximised and many more avenues will be explored than those currently.”

    A graduate in Economic Honors and an MBA in Marketing and IT, Johar has been involved in promoting and selling of more than 130 films till date – in various capacities. Having worked with leading players like Balaji, Sony, Disney and UTV Motion Pictures, he is one of the very few professionals from film industry to have experiences in marketing, production, exhibition and global distribution.

    He has actively worked on seeking in and around film branding and alliance partners, trade initiatives for buying, selling and networking. Johar has conceptualised and executed effective marketing and exploitation strategies for films from the scripting stage till their final theatrical releases. During his tenure, he has defined the business and market for films releasing in various languages – Hindi, English, Bengali, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu and Marathi.

     

  • Rahul Mishra to join IndiaCast as associate director for marketing

    Rahul Mishra to join IndiaCast as associate director for marketing

    MUMBAI: IndiaCast that distributes TV18 and Viacom18’s channels in India and abroad has roped in Rahul Mishra as associate director for marketing.

     

    Confirming the news to indiantelevision.com, Mishra said that his role will encompass handling trade marketing for domestic channels and consumers as well as trade marketing for its international channels such as Colors, Rishtey and News18. He will join IndiaCast from November and is currently serving his notice period at BBC.

     

    Mishra joins IndiaCast from BBC World News where he had a successful stint of nearly eight years as Asia Pacific marketing manager. Prior to that, he was with WorldSpace India as manager for north and has worked for the sales and marketing teams of Hyatt and Le Meridien Hotels and Resorts.

  • Edelman India elevates Rakesh Thukral as managing director

    Edelman India elevates Rakesh Thukral as managing director

    MUMBAI: To lead the firm’s second largest market in the firm’s Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa (APACMEA) region, Edelman India has got on-board Rakesh Thukral as the managing director with immediate effect.

    Overseeing 400 people across 11 cities in India, Thukral will work with the Edelman leadership team to build on the success and continued strong growth that the firm has experienced in recent years. He will report to South Asia, Middle East & Africa (SAMEA) CEO Robert Holdheim. 

     

    “Rakesh is well-positioned to drive Edelman India into its next phase of business growth,” said Holdheim. “He is a talented, seasoned leader and has a strong team to support him. It gives me tremendous pleasure to hand over the baton to Rakesh, at a time when we are at the cusp of exploring a dynamic new world of communications. I am confident that under Rakesh’s leadership, we will scale new heights and achieve new milestones for our teams, our clients and our business.”

     

    An industry veteran with over 23 years of experience in communications and public affairs, Thukral joined Edelman India in 2010 to set up the firm’s Public Affairs and Advocacy Practice. In 2012, he took on the additional role of chief operating officer (COO). During his four-plus years at Edelman, he successfully built the public affairs practice to one of the largest in the country. He was a core member of the leadership team responsible for growing the business, developing new offerings and thereby expanding the firm’s presence to 11 cities.

     

    “Being part of Edelman India’s leadership team has been a very enriching experience and I am humbled by the trust that the team has placed in me as I take over this new role,” said Thukral. “In the last few years, Edelman has established a remarkable footprint in India and created a new benchmark in the PR consulting business. I look forward to working with our leadership team to leverage the scale, expertise and the new thinking to drive success for our clients and our business.”

     

    Prior to joining Edelman, he was the COO of Comma Consulting for over four years, a company that he helped set up. He also worked at IPAN, now known as IPAN Hill+Knowlton, for 14 years.

     

  • Surat Misra is back at Prasar Bharati as consultant

    Surat Misra is back at Prasar Bharati as consultant

    NEW DELHI: Surat Misra, who retired from Doordarshan in September 2008 at a time when she was looking after its publicity, has been appointed as consultant for media and public relations at All India Radio.

     

    Misra, a sociologist and media analyst, was former deputy director (PR) and chief protocol officer at the directorate general of Doordarshan.

     

    She will handle social media and public relations.

     

    In DD, she commenced her work as audience research officer from 1985 to 1997 after which she was given the charge of public relations.

     

    She has also made several public service films on different subjects like introduction of sex education for children with the National Council for Research and Training.

     

    She was senior investigator, backward classes development division of the Home Ministry from 1972 to 1975 and prior to that was the director of census operations.